Dozens of Woodside residents, veterans and officials gathered at Doughboy Park on the night of September 11 to commemorate 16 years since the national tragedy.

The annual event, at times somber and other times uplifting, featured singing, music and a candlelight ceremony. Community members laid down 34 flowers in front of the Woodside park’s 9/11 memorial, one for each local resident or first responder who was killed during the terrorist attack.

Daniel Maher, a captain in the United States Army, said the neighborhood has not forgotten those who sacrificed their lives on that fateful day.

“Our hearts are with their families and their loved ones,” he said. “We will never let their memory fade to obscurity.”

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer called Woodside a “deeply patriotic neighborhood.” Although the event reminds many locals of lost loved ones, it also signifies hope.

“This community is always there remembering,” he said. “We’re grateful to every single person who has worn the uniform and all those serving right now.”

State Senator Michael Gianaris noted that young people under the age of 16 did not live through the tragedy, and may only read about it in textbooks or second-hand accounts. He implored the community to keep educating the next generation about September 11.

“This is our responsibility to the fallen,” he said, “to never forget their memory.”